Japanese method of relieving stress in just five minutes

Stress, worries, and pressure — it seems that these negative emotions are easily becoming part of our daily lives. Meditating and working out are just some of the most common activities many people do to get rid of stress.

Unfortunately, with our hectic schedules everyday, we don’t always get the chance to free ourselves from stressful situations we go through. Luckily, the Japanese have an ancient method used for self-relaxation and relieving stress. Doing this practice is easy and would only take five minutes of your time.

What’s more, you can do it anytime and anywhere. It doesn’t cost a thing and the best thing is — you just need nothing else but your hands to do it.

For this method to work effectively, first, you must be aware that each finger in our hand represents certain areas:

Our thumb represents worries and anxieties:

The index finger stands for fear:

Our middle finger is for anger:

Your ring finger is for depression and loneliness:

The little finger represents stress and self-esteem:

The next step would be identifying the negative emotion you are currently feeling. For an example, if something is worrying you, you should focus on your thumb. Once you have identified which finger you should be focusing on, wrap all your fingers from the other hand around the finger that represents the negative emotion.

Since ‘worry’ is the negative emotion in the example, you should wrap all the fingers from your other hand around your thumb.

Maintain your grasp on the affected finger until you feel the pulse. Keep your fingers wrapped around it for about two minutes. If you feel many negative emotions affecting you, you can do the exercise to all your fingers. In addition, if you want to calm your mind as well, you can put a slight pressure on the center of your palm using the thumb from your other hand. Hold it for at least a minute.

This ancient Japanese relaxation technique is called “Jin Shin Iyutsu”. And it is backed by science.

In a study published in National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) done by Lamke D., Catlin A., and Mason-Chadd M., it was proven that the acupressure technique can result in “significant increases in positive outlook, gratitude, motivation, calmness, and communication effectiveness and significant decreases in anger, resentfulness, depression, stress symptoms, time pressure, and morale issues. Nurses reported less muscle aches, sleeplessness, and headaches.”

Watch the video below for full demonstration of this amazing self-relaxation technique:

(Note: This article is for informational purposes only and not to be treated as professional advice. Should you encounter any negative symptoms, please seek professional help).